We were very impressed with Motul's Chain Lube Wet, giving it maximum marks in recent testing. Thankfully, after the wettest winter for many years in the UK, it's starting to dry out enough to start using their dry lube. So, how does the Motul Chain Lube Dry compare to the best chain lubes?
Design and specifications
Motul’s Chain Lube Dry uses a biodegradable organic base lubricant made with non-fossil renewable materials and reinforced with ester base materials. Motul has been using and refining ester materials for lubrication in motorsport since 2011, and this particular innovation works very well for drivetrains as it encourages the liquid to be chemically attracted to the chain.
Boron nitride has been added for its anti-wear properties. There are no nasty forever chemicals (PTFE) used here, either. Fluorocarbon pollutants are a serious issue, and it's good to see brands using alternatives that offer the same levels of performance without the longterm environmental downsides.
Like the Wet lube, the Dry version is contained in an understated battleship gray plastic bottle made with 100 percent bio-sourced plastic. They share the same color and graphics, which can be confusing if you have both in your workshop. It's not a deal-breaker, but it nearly caught me out a couple of times. This plastic is fully recyclable and adds further to Motul’s green credentials. It's a fairly standard squeezy-type bottle, but it has a much narrower spout than most to give you more application control and minimize waste.
Performance
As it's been the wettest winter in over a hundred years in the UK, the chances to use a dry lube have sadly been rarer than I'd like. However, a few cold, dry days and the slow warming up of spring have meant I've been able to use Motul's lighter Dry lube a lot more recently. The brand's Wet lube was exceptional, as it stayed in place but didn't exhibit many of the traits that hinder heavier oils, so I was very keen to see how this faired.
The application is straightforward. The bottle's narrow nozzle does a great job of regulating the flow, so there isn't much mess or overspill. The lube itself is an ideal consistency, lucid enough to penetrate the links but not so thin that it drips and sprays everywhere the second you spin the cranks. I like to apply fresh lube after a thorough cleaning and degreasing post-ride and leave it to set to protect the rollers and links sufficiently. Motul doesn't specify a curing or setting time, but I found an hour or so worked well. If you ride straight after applying most lubes, it ends up going everywhere apart from your chain, so if you can, it is always worth applying in plenty of time.
I used it on a series of damp trail rides and medium-to-long gravel rides and found it worked well. Only on a couple of occasions when it was wetter than I expected did it fall short. Though, to be fair, that was more of a poor decision on my part, not the product, when the Wet lube would have been a much more effective choice.
Unlike some dry lubes, the Motul lube lasts a few rides, too, as long as the weather played nice and stayed reasonably dry. Once set, the Chain Lube Dry leaves a nice coating on the chain and penetrates deep into the rollers for a smooth, quiet ride. It is not as clean as a pure wax-based version, but it doesn't collect too much grit and debris that can create a drivetrain-eating grinding paste if left.
The combination of an effective nozzle and a lube that isn't too thin, has meant the bottle has lasted well, though as a high-mileage user, I'd like to see a larger bottle on sale to save on plastic usage. Motul's efforts to use environmentally-friendly materials and formulas are to be applauded, too.
Cost-wise, at $4.57 / £10, the 100ml bottle tested is comparable to options from established brands like Peaty's LinkLube Dry, which sells for $18 / £12.99, and Muc-Off Dry Lube, which sells for $11.99 / £12, both of which use a slightly larger 120ml bottle. It has stronger eco-credentials than most brands out there, too, bar Mountainflow's dry wax-based lube, though the Motul option works much better on the trail.
Verdict
Motul's Chain Lube Dry takes the automotive brand's know-how to make a very good, reasonably long-lasting, and eco-friendly lube that works well in dry to damp conditions and is competitively low-priced compared to similar offerings from established brands.
I'd like a larger bottle to be available as a high mileage user and a different color or graphic to be used on the packaging compared to the Wet version, but that's a minor complaint against an otherwise solid offering.
Tech specs: Motul Chain Lube Dry
- Price: $4.57 / £10 / €10.90
- Size: 3.3oz / 100ml
- Drip bottle: Consumer-recycled plastic
- Details: Biodegradable organic base lubricant reinforced with Ester materials and boron nitride additives
